1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a wound dressing retainer and, more specifically, to a water and contaminant resistant reusable would dressing retainer.
2. Description of Related Art
Wound dressings generally include an opaque backing layer having an adhesive applied to one side for adhering to the skin. A protective layer, typically made of a release paper is applied to the adhesive side of the backing layer and is releasable therefrom when the wound dressing is applied to the skin. The area immediately covering the wound often has a gauze pad for protecting the wound. The replacement of the gauze pad necessitates removal of the entire wound dressing, including the adhesive side from an individual's skin. When wound dressings are used independent of an integrated adhesive, separate adhesive tape is necessary to secure the wound to the individual's skin. Again, the adhesive only serves the function of holding a particular wound dressing, which necessitates removal of the adhesive when removing or exchanging the wound dressing. Thus, the use of adhesive tape for use in securing wound dressings has long presented a major problem for patients and medical practitioners. Removal of the wound dressing often necessitates replacing the old wound dressing with a new one, which can be stressful to the individual. As seen with many geriatric patients, frequent dressing changes, or even a few dressing changes for patients with thin, fragile skin, can cause serious damage to the skin surrounding the wound.
Wound dressings and dressing retainers to overcome the aforementioned problem have been developed over the years with limited success. Previous designs have exhibited different approaches to securing the dressing. For example, a lace up binder (e.g., Montgomery straps) holds a dressing in place via parallel strips of adhesive having eyelets, wherein each strip is placed on either side of a wound as the dressing is placed in the middle, and laces are laced through the eyelets of the strips. The use of such as dressing retainer has been limited mostly to large abdominal wounds, and is therefore, not as practical for use on smaller wounds or wounds situated on extremities. Other types of dressing retainers designed for use on various areas of the body, allow for easy access to the wound for frequent changes of the dressing. However, protecting the wound site and dressings from contamination is more an issue with these designs than with the Montgomery straps, or elastic band type retainers. Furthermore, none of the prior art wound dressing retainer designs protect outer garments or bedding from drainage of the wound outward through the primary dressing. It is known that wounds that require frequent (e.g., many times a day) dressing changes experience heavy drainage that can saturate and penetrate through primary dressings.
It is, therefore, desirable to overcome the above problems and others by providing a wound dressing retainer that protects the wound and primary dressing from outside contamination, such as feces, urine, or other liquids, protects the environment external from the wound from drainage thereof, and eliminates or reduces the damage and/or irritation caused to the skin from constant replacement of the wound dressing.